The Beating of the Drums
by treblecleft99
Summary: Lucy's 15th birthday party is interrupted by the announcement that Calormen has declared war. When Peter and Edmund refuse to let her accompany them to war, she just might have to go to some extreme measures to help her country.
1. Birthday

"_Twanngg_" The crimson-feather-tipped arrow spiraled away from Susan's bow as her younger sister Lucy leaped away with a squeal.

"Susan! That was _this _close to hitting me!" she cried indignantly.

Susan just laughed. "Believe me, if I wanted to hit you, you'd have some very lovely feathers sticking out of your forehead right now." She said, her voice dripping with good-natured mirth.

Lucy attempted to keep a scowl on her face, but it was impossible today. It truly was the perfect day she thought gleefully as she glanced around. She had awoken to the sound of birds chirping and the quiet humming of her maid. At the moment she was practicing archery with her sister, Susan. But, she thought with a smile, the best was yet to come. At dusk there would be an extravagant banquet in the great hall of Cair Paravel with her royal siblings and the Narnian nobility. For today was Queen Lucy the Valliant's 15th birthday.

"Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to take your shot?" chirped Susan.

Lucy plucked a dagger out of her belt and flicked it at the target, burying it deep into the center of the wood before spinning around and flopping down on the grass, her arms sprawled out and mingling with her long chestnut locks. Susan folded gracefully down next to her, lying in a much more lady-like position. _She looks beautiful even after an hour of hard training_ thought Lucy wistfully.

Impulsively she propped herself up and blurted "Will you help me get ready for the ball this evening?"

Susan appeared startled but smiled warmly notheless. "It would be my honor."

"It's still not quite right…" Susan mused, closely examining the latest dress Lucy had donned.

"It's the last one I've got! You said no to all the others too!" Cried Lucy exasperatedly.

Susan picked at the lilies laid out on Lucy's bureau. A small smile spread across her rose-bud lips. "I've got the perfect thing." And with those words she glided out of Lucy's chambers, silencing the trailing Lucy's every question.

Susan, kneeling by the jewel studded trunk by the foot of her bed, pulled out a package wrapped in soft linen and bound with black ribbon.

"Close your eyes." Lucy obeyed, and allowed herself to be guided to her feet. She raised her arms and felt something as soft as a waterfall fall down over her body, settling about her ankles. Able to contain herself no longer, she opened her eyes and walked to the full-length golden mirror adorning one corner. Lucy could hardly believe her eyes. The dress was more than she could have imagined. It was a soft gold the color of the first rays of golden daylight to pierce the black of night. It fit tightly at her bosom, accentuating her admittedly small assets there, before billowing into a full, flowing skirt that must have contained yards of fabric. At her waist there was a belt laid with crystals and just enough emeralds to bring her eyes into their rank.

"Oh Susan," she breathed. "It's perfect!" She spun to envelop her sister in a hug.

"There now," said Susan, her voice tight with emotion. "Wouldn't want to spoil your lovely dress, now would we?"

"Susan, what is it?" asked Lucy gently, sisterly concern pulling her out of the clouds.

"Oh nothing, Lucy dear, just an old woman being sentimental," Lucy fixed her with a look.

"It's just- my baby sister isn't so babyish anymore." said Susan, her voice breaking.

"Oh, Su." soothed Lucy, pulling her older sister into her arms, where they remained until it was time to go down to the ball.

"Ready, Lu?" asked Peter, his eyes gleaming. Lucy took a deep, steadying breath, and nodded, clutching Peter's arm. The high king was escorting Lucy to the ball for her birthday. Behind them, Susan was arm in arm with Edmund. Peter motioned to the fauns guarding the doors, and the swung open in perfect synchronization, allowing the royal siblings a double door entrance.

The herald's clear voice rang out "High King Peter, Queen Susan, King Edmund, and the guest of honor the valiant Queen Lucy!"

Music rang out from the orchestra, filling the gleaming hall with perfectly tuned chords as the High King led his youngest sibling forward for the first dance of the night. Lucy fairly shone as her brother spun her across the dance floor, reveling in his sister's happiness.

Suddenly the doors were flung open to reveal a red-faced, gasping messenger, clutching a bloody arrow. Silence fell over the room.

Several people, including the kings, rushed forward to aid him, but he waved them off, refusing help until he had completed his purpose.

"Calormen has crossed the border!" he choked out. "We're at war!" And with those words, he pitched forward into blackness, far away from the chaos that had erupted in the once merry ballroom.


	2. Idea

Lucy suddenly felt as if she was floating, that it was not her, but someone else standing still in the middle of the chaos. Peter and Edmund were shouting, trying to maintain some semblance of order. Susan had run forward to the man and was arranging a stretcher to carry the messenger to the infirmary.

Suddenly she was violently jerked back into her body and the full reality of the situation hit. They were at w_ar_. War meant death and loss and destruction. War meant Peter and Edmund leaving and maybe never coming back.

"Edmund, arrange for a scouting party. We have to know their numbers before we can plan a strategy." Peter yelled, his voice growing hoarse. Edmund nodded, his eyes growing distant, planning. Lucy was shocked at how Peter was handling it. Nowhere in his demeanor was the loving older brother she knew so well, the one who held her when she scraped her knees or who she could seek protection from when Edmund was chasing her with the latest creepy-crawly he'd found in the gardens. The Peter standing calm and collected was every inch the high king of Narnia.

When she felt a touch on her arm she whirled around, more on edge than she'd realized. Instead of the attacker she'd subconsciously been expecting was a faun, wearing the insignia of the palace guard.

"Your majesty, your brother has sent me to escort you back to your chamber." He stated.

"But I want to help!" Lucy protested, furious that she was being treated like a child.

"I'm sorry your majesty, but I'm under direct orders from the high king. I'm afraid his orders outrank yours in matters like this."

Lucy glanced over at Peter, and at seeing the crowd of advisors that had formed around him decided to let him get away with it-for tonight.

The next morning, Lucy glided up to Peter's study doors, silencing the attending guards who would challenge her entrance with an icy look.

Peter glanced up at her entrance, tossing an irritated look at the guards who he'd told to let no one in.

"Lucy, I don't have time for any games right now, I have to-"

"I don't want to play any games! I'm not a child you know."

Peter looked exhausted. "Then what do you want?"

"I want to accompany you and Edmund. I want to help fight the war." Lucy stated confidently.

Peter's head snapped up, and it looked like she had his full attention for the first time. "No."

"But-"

"I mean it, Lu. War is no place for women, especially ones as young as you."

"But I'm nearly as good as Susan with a bow, and I can throw a dagger better than anybody!"

"Messing around with your sister in the yard is one thing. Marching into a field with men trying to kill you is quite another."

"That's what you're going to do!" Lucy exclaimed hotly.

"I'm king. It's my duty to protect Narnia."

"And I'm queen!"

The door was flung open. "Peter, do you have the- oh, Lucy." Edmund seemed surprised to see her. "Should I come back later?"

"No, Lucy and I were done." Peter said, ignoring Lucy.

"Oh!" Lucy fairly screaming and whirled out of the room, fuming.

"What happened?" Edmund asked, shocked. He'd never seen Lucy this mad at Peter.

"She wants to fight in the war." Peter said, his exhaustion showing as he drooped down to the desk.

Edmund was suddenly filled with images of hundreds of bloody-thirsty men after his little sister. "We can't let her."

"Exactly," said Peter, the brothers united in their never-ending quest to protect their sisters.

"I cannot believe them!" cried Lucy, storming into her chamber and slamming the door, startling her poor maid, Enna.

"W-Who, your majesty?" Stammered Enna.

"Edmund and Peter of course!"

"The Kings, But what've they done?"

"They're being narrow-minded." Lucy sulked. "You can go now, Enna, thank-you."

"But,"

"You can go now." Lucy repeated, wanting to be alone. When she finally was alone she flopped down onto a couch, wanting to cry but too angry to shed a tear. How dare they? She was just as important to this country as they were, even if they were boys and she never could be- or could she? A wonderful thought sprang into her head like the first blossom of spring. She leaped up and scrambled over to her mirror. She quickly braided her hair and wound it around her head, tucking it under a cap. It was the first time she didn't envy Susan her full lips and rounded eyes, because without them and without her hair framing her face she looked like a boy. Certainly not a 15 year old boy, but she could pass for 12. Looking in the mirror, for the first time all day she felt herself smile.


	3. Susan

If she could pull of being a boy, she could join the army. They probably wouldn't let her be in the front lines, but she could at least help. The only thing she needed was Susan to cover for her. She did feel a little guilty about leaving Susan to manage the country on her own, but she was more than capable- she had proven that many times over. She was always empathetic when listening to other's problems and could usually come up with a solution that suited both sides fine.

Lucy stood abruptly, straightening her dress and her hair. If this was to work, she'd have to start convincing Su now. She opened her door and set out into the corridor. Luckily it was empty. She wasn't sure how good she'd be right now at being Queen Lucy. She reached Susan's rooms quickly; Peter had been adamant that they all have rooms close to each other, and knocked softly.

"Come in," Susan's voice carried gently but clearly through the thick wood. "Lucy! It's good to see you, come sit down would you care for some tea?"

"I'd love some." said Lucy gratefully. She hadn't realized until now how dry her throat was.

Susan poured her some, and after drinking deeply Lucy said hesitantly, "Susan, I actually came here to talk about something rather important…"

Susan looked up from the tea tray she'd been busying herself with and looked up and Lucy, her solemn eyes giving full attention.

"It's about the war."

Susan's eyes flashed with understanding. "Oh, I know Lucy, we're going to miss Peter and Edmund so much. But we'll get by, you and I, and they'll,"

"Susan, I'm going with them."

"But how, Peter would never-" She saw her sister's face and backtracked. "He doesn't know, does he?"

"Oh, Susan, I have to help! You know I'd be absolutely no help here, you always were better with politics than I was! My face is so thin, you know I'd be able to pass for a boy if I were careful, but,"

"But you need me to cover for you." Susan finished bluntly.

Lucy merely nodded.

"Well, I can't pretend I think it's a good idea, but if you're set on it I know I won't be able to stop you and you'll just sneak out of the palace and give Peter one more thing to worry about."

Lucy couldn't disagree, though she felt guilty.

"Then I'll help you, Lucy, if you promise me one thing. Do be careful." Susan choked, tearing up and pulling her sister into a tight hug.

"I will," Lucy managed to choke out through the ball in her throat.

* * *

**I know, short chapter. Don't worry the next one will be longer, I'll probably post it this weekend, if not sooner. I got lucky tonight and didn't have any homework, so voila here's this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it!**


	4. Enlistment

Lucy stirred herself. She hadn't managed to sleep all night, although she had tried to. It was just as well though, she thought. As queen she had grown used to sleeping in until the sun was well above the horizon. If she had slept fitfully, she might not have been able to rouse herself early enough for what she had planned. The sun had not even risen yet. She glanced over at her packed bag in the corner, loaded with all the clothes and other essentials she would have access to until the war was over, or at least as long as she could keep up her act. She had taken the boy's clothes from various baskets in the laundry, never too much from one place, never enough to be wondered at. She had a sword, a small dagger, and a bow and arrows in way of weapons. It almost made her guilty how easy it was to take them. As queen, she was under virtually no suspicion and nearly no door was closed to her.

She crossed to her vanity, scrutinizing her appearance with a close eye. She had decided she just couldn't bring herself to cut off her hair. In her otherwise plain appearance, her rich, almost auburn brown hair was the one thing about her appearance she took any pride in. She knew it was vain, but tightly braided hair tucked up under a cap would accomplish the same thing, right?

She'd braided her hair in a crown close to her head, so tight it was giving her a slight headache. With what she had of a figure hidden under baggy clothes, she made a pretty good boy. She'd just have to be careful to avoid her brothers or anybody else who would recognize her, but that shouldn't be too hard. The high ranking officers who'd traveled in Lucy's circles wouldn't likely have much interaction with a young new recruit.

Her head jerked up and the sound of drums booming though the courtyard, lit by the first rays of the sun.  
_Rum tum tum Rum tum tum. _It was the call to battle. She felt the beating of the drums in her soul, her heart matching it. She grabbed her bag and spun it on her shoulders as she reached for the door. She flung it open to see a servant staring at her. _Oops! _She thought, blushing. There's another thing Susan's going to have to explain- an unknown boy emerging from the queen's room early in the morning. She nodded dignifiedly at the servant as though nothing at all was unusual about their meeting, before flying off down the corridor.

She reached the enlistment table in record time, having fled the royal wing before anyone could question her. She was the 3rd in line there and only had to wait a minute before reaching the table.

"Name and age?" questioned the centaur posted there.

"Llll-iam Guthrey " she said, catching herself before she could blurt out her name. "age 16."

"16? Are you sure, Lad?" he asked suspiciously, looking her small, slight frame up and down.

"Yes."

He shrugged. "Alright then. You're assigned to squadron seven, report there immediately."

She smiled, adjusted her bag, and walked over to the banner with a 7 on it. Nothing appeared to happening yet, so she stood there, watching the proceedings. The enlistment line kept growing, and it warmed her heart to see so many people willing to lay down their lives for Narnia. Soon enough another boy walked over and joined her at the banner. He was nearly twice as tall as her, solidly built with dark brown hair and a smatter of freckles across his nose. He looked down at her.

"Hello," He said with a gaping yawn.

"Hello," She replied brightly.

"What's your name, then?"

"Liam, what about you?"

"Alex," He said groggily. "I wonder what our captain's going to be like. I've heard some of them are horrible."

Lucy hadn't even considered this.

Alex continued, not waiting for a reply. "I was hoping to be assigned to squadron one. The kings themselves lead it. I suppose not many new recruits are assigned there, though."

"No, I don't think any are." agreed Lucy, secretly glad for that fact.

They both let the conversation trickle off. More people slowly began to join their group, until it had grown to be about twenty. When it seemed like no more new recruits were coming, a man walked up, shoulders firmly pushed back, and such a proud look on his face you'd think Aslan himself had made him breakfast that morning.

"Men! For the duration of your service, I will be your captain! My name is Joshua Negree, but you may refer to me only as Sir!"

He paused in his speech apparently waiting for something, and quite apparently annoyed when all he got was blank looks and silence.

"When I finish speaking, you will reply with 'yes sir!'" He shouted.

Lucy thought this was a bit much, even for a captain and wondered how Peter could have promoted him to a captain. "I'll have to speak with him about his choice in officers when this is all over." she mused.

"Soldier!" snapped the captain. Lucy's head whipped up to find him glaring at her. "You appear to have something more interesting to think about than listening to me speak. Would you care to share this with the rest of us?"

Lucy shook her head, finding her words lost.

He smirked and spun his attention off of her. "Good news, soldiers. This young man has just agreed to do all the cooking for the next three weeks." Some of her fellow soldiers looked at her laughingly, but most looked sympathetic. Personally she felt the worst for all of them. She couldn't cook at all. This was going to be harder than she thought.

* * *

**Here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it and I apologize for any errors. At this point I'm surprised I can keep my eyes open, so even typing is an accomplishment. Please keep reading and reviews are much appreciated. Thanks to those of you have have followed this story! **


	5. Practice

"This is completely ridiculous." Lucy muttered angrily to Alex, her voice choppy as she gasped for breath. Their captain was making them run yet another lap of the camp, bringing the total to about 10. Lucy's legs were burning and it took all of her will power to stay on her feet. All of the other squadrons laughed at them as they ran past their portion of the camp. Their captains were having them do things like sword-practice or archery. None of that for squadron 7; they had done nothing but run and do sit-ups. They were nearing the squadron 1 section of the camp, and Lucy felt her stomach drop. There, standing in the middle of the circle if tents, surveying the area, were her brothers. She squeaked and ducked behind Alex, hoping his broad shoulders would hide her from view. He attempted to spin around to look at her, but she held him in place.

"What?" he demanded.

"Oh, nothing, just see someone I know." Lucy said, attempting to sound casual even as she cringed behind her human shield.

"Then why,"

"Someone who was not incredibly happy with me at our last meeting," Lucy interrupted.

"Ahh," Alex didn't protest to being used as a shield anymore.

_He really is a pretty good friend _thought Lucy happily. Soon enough they were beyond the sight of her brothers, and she went back to running next to him just as they ran up to their section of the camp. Joshua was there waiting for people to finish.

"About time!" he shouted, even though they were only a minute or so behind everyone else. "Today, the real work begins. We're going to start training with weapons."

Most other people appeared nervous, but Lucy was ecstatic. Finally she could show that annoying captain something she was good at!

They all walked over to the targets. A large pile of daggers lay on a table there.

"Mister Guthrey, perhaps you would like to demonstrate?" asked Joshua, smirking. He obviously thought he'd found another way to humiliate Lucy.

_ I'll show him_ thought Lucy with a smirk of her own. She strode confidently forward and grabbed a dagger. She spun it in her hand a few times, getting a feel for the weight, before bringing back her arm and throwing the dagger. It spun through the air before sticking solidly in the exact center of the target.

Joshua's mouth was opening and closing rapidly, much like a fish. Finally it appeared as though his brain completely rejected what it was seeing and he moved on as though nothing had happened. "Line up, all of you!" The others took a minute to move, all of them staring at the smallest of the group as if she had sprouted horns and a tail. She ignored them, instead moving back to allow to line to form. She stood in the back, next to Alex.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" He asked, astounded.

"I had a good teacher." Lucy thought, thinking of Orius and her brothers, that that statement could not have been more true.

* * *

Susan opened her eyes to the bright morning sunshine streaming in through her window and immediately wanted to squeeze them back shut. This morning signaled the beginning of her reign over Cair Paravel and the rest of Narnia, alone. She was supposed to have Lucy with her of course, and she couldn't let anybody know that she didn't. The thought of not having her brothers and sister's guidance terrified her. She had never before been at the forefront of ruling. Peter handled battle strategies and most other things inside Narnia, Edmund was the best diplomat, and even Lucy was good at smoothing over disagreements. The only thing Susan was the best at was charming foreign princes. _What good is that going to do me now? _She thought bleakly. She got out of bed and walked over to her mirror. She had the same coal-black hair as Edmund, though hers shone when the light hit it. She had large, rounded blue eyes and full lips. She spun away, frustrated. Nothing at all in her appearance read wise leader. She pushed all of this away for now, though, she had a more immediate matter to deal with.

She swept out of her rooms with her usual grace, and took an unusual turn towards the throne room. The room seemed desolate with four thrones and only one ruler. Most of the castle staff and nobility were already gathered there at her request. She climbed to the dais and cleared her throat loudly.

"Thank you all for gathering here this morning. I have some rather worrying news to convey." Murmurs broke out in the crowd, now concerned. "Queen Lucy is ill, with a sickness that comes from the place of our birth. I have already had the sickness, so I alone am immune and may tend her." A faun that served as a healer stepped forward.

"Are you certain? I might be able to-"

"Thank you, but no. I am familiar with how to treat the illness, and I am sure the queen will be quite well after a few weeks of bed rest." _At least I hope she's back in a few weeks… otherwise I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do…._ She mused.

**I decided to update this chapter because I wasn't happy with how the 1st part turned out. So here's the extension with a little tidbit on Susan. Hope you enjoy it, please read and review!**


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